A pale moonlight. Ignorance. Bliss. The world is still, quiet. At peace. The clouds taking their time, rolling above him in an endless sky.

But no dreams came to visit. A peaceful slumber. Jojo slept long through that night. His mind blank with sleep. His feeling from before still lingering. A warm heart.

Dio opened the door. Silence. A sleeping Jojo before him. Nothing wrong here.

Only a quick blush as his memory invaded. Such a feeling. Such a strange reality the two of them had made in that moment. A kiss. On the lips. Dio knew he shouldn't have acted so impulsively. Maybe a small peck on the cheek would've sufficed.

But no, he had to go all the way. But this wasn't a mistake. Wasn't a bad thing. Jojo was right, everyone shows affection in their own way.

Dio was tempted. He grumbled slightly, almost a growl. At that thought. But he was beginning to feel the drafts around the empty stone halls. The bare brick under his feet.

Another action with only impulse. He lightly stepped around Jojo's bed to the empty side. And slid in. The warmth from Jojo was surprising, yet familiar.

The gentle breathing. Dio lay facing the opposite side. Only one night. See how it feel to be human. To sleep through such hours. For Jojo? Even he didn't know.

Ever since he'd left Jojo on the streets, he'd notice how Jojo had changed when he returned. He was truly Jonathan. No more a husk. No more acid in sore eyes.

More and more. More and more. Dio tried to pin point what it was. What Jojo was becoming more of. Surly it couldn't be.

Human.

He'd noticed Jojo eating human food with ease. Getting more confident with himself in the mirror. Sleeping through the night now more than the day. All this in the short time he had come back from his venture. Just by meeting the crusaders did he find-

Humanity

Something dio could never fully give him. Though never wanting to admit he had a scrap of it left.

That he was trying to give to Jojo.

But, no more humanity, no more weaknesses.

Would mean.

No more Jojo. No more sweet smiles. No more hugs. No more lazy afternoons reading together.

Jojo would no longer be with him. After all, having no humanity meant he was a monster. A monster trying to take over a world he barely knew. A monster Jojo needed to stop.

Dio shook his head. Sleep was so far away when these thoughts wouldn't let him go.

Was he worried? Worried that's how it would end? A repeat of days gone by? How could he be worried? He had all the power in the world. An army. A grand place to reside. A grand plan. What was there to worry about?

To worry about him? Dio turned over to face Jojo. Both facing each other. Jojo was fast asleep, drooling over the pillows. His face so clam. Could've been mistaken for an angel, if he wasn't drooling so much.

Temptation. Another kiss? Before his-

-his friend was gone. His brother. He knew all too well their fate. They were going to part whether Dio liked it or not

Yet he reached over and gently kissed his forehead. Now they resided together. A moment to stay together while they could. before two old souls could finally move on.

An epiphany. Dio's eyes shot open. He lay on his side still facing Jojo. Jojo clutching Dio's hand as the sun began to rise through tarnished curtains.

He looked down as their hands intertwined. Jojo's grip gentle but firm.

Then lighter. Then gone. Jojo gently lay his hand on Dio's as his grip had loosened. A small smile crossing his face.

Dio moved slightly not breaking his gaze from Jojo. Jojo still lay sleeping.

Dio got out of the bed. quite yet swift as he headed to his own room. His idea refusing to fade yet raising questions.

Many questions.

But Dio would never let such possibilities deter him. Even why they persisted during Jonathan's resurrection. They perished after a while of Dio's persistent ignorance. But even his persistent ignorance now, with the idea he had, couldn't fade with ignorance.

As he held Jonathan's last remaining clothes in his hands. So delicate so fragile. The clothes Jojo wore on that boat. On his honey moon.

on his death bed.

He'd tried to repair them best he could but time marched on and it was inevitable the cloth would fray.

"What would Jojo do?" A moment to himself, Dio couldn't stop the words coming out his mouth.

The floor stood silent. The walls watching but unable to speak. The hall beckoned to Jojo's room. All he had to do was place the clothes in his room and see if he noticed. Or even leave a note to tempt him to wear them.

But Jojo could've moved on from that by now. Maybe such garments would spark another fire between them. A fire of hate and rivalry. Unsettled memories coming back for another argument.

One step at a time. Just see what happens. But the clothes soothing smells hit Dio with a wave. The soothing familiar scent. Still clinging to the fabric even after so many decades, surrounded by rot and decay.

Dio stopped outside Jojo's bedroom. The door still open. Jojo still sleeping with such bliss. He looked to the empty side of the bed. The sun slowly making its way over the bed through the slit in the curtains.

Jojo would wake soon. Dio couldn't hesitate.

The morning birds began to sing.

After another look at Jojo's peaceful slumber, Dio left.

The echoing footsteps down the concrete stairs greeted no one as Jojo hesitantly descended. He looked around. A peaceful morning glow in the hall. The Hamon sparks resonating in his hands. So eager, full of life to live again. But Jojo wasn't happy about it. How everything was changing.

His Hamon was getting stronger. His memories crisp and clear. The feelings returning to joy of living such an adventurous life. Though short.

Jojo cautiously explored the halls with delicate steps. Not wanting to alert anyone, yet not wanting to be alone.

The library was barren, the stairs, the halls, the chambers. All barren.

Jojo stood in front of Dio's bedroom door. Holding his hand to knock but not being able to.

"Maybe I'll see him later? I could find Pucci?" He muttered. So desperate to knock. Withholding his action.

Footsteps. Jojo turned slowly to see who they belonged to. Ice had turned the corner of the hall. He stopped as looked up from his book.

"Hello. I don't think we've met." A polite yet coward chill in Jojo's voice.

Ice stood still. Trying to put things together.

"May I ask who you-"

"Ice. Vanilla Ice. What are you doing outside Lord Dio's door?" Clean and to the point as he stared Jojo down.

"I was going to see him but decided to-"

"Decided to wake him? How dare you wake him? You are nothing of importance to him. You are just another soldier. Where's I am his second in command. You have no place here."

Jojo's shoulders dropped for a moment. "Hav- Do you-" but his voice always trailing, never finding the right words.

"I don't care who you are. My lord made you for his army. Nothing more."

"I don't think that's true."

Ice grew closer to Jojo, steps full of determination through fear.

"Listen. stay away from him and me. I want nothing to do with-" Ice stopped. A strange scent. "What disgusting perfume is that? Get out of my sight."

Jojo did as he was told. He saw no reason to argue with him. What did he expect? All of Dio's friends would be like him and Pucci?

"And!"

Jojo turned to Ice now almost to the end of the corridor.

"And why are you wearing those clothes?! They are some of his sacred possessions! I hope you return them!" Ice gave a scowl and brief glimpse, for Jojo, at his stand. Cream loomed over him before fading.

Jojo just turned and walked away. Though he wanted to explain, he knew that Ice wouldn't listen. He was too much in the clutches of anger and fear to believe him, let alone listen.

Jojo pondered as he made his way to library. A blue book on the table caught his eye. He stood solemn for a moment. A strange moment of hesitance before picking it up.

He flipped through the pages. And smiled.

He didn't know how this book had made its way here but he was glad it was here. So, he could see Erina. Speedwagon. His father

He sat cosy next to the fireplace. A glimmer of hope inside him.

"What happened? How could we know? What would become of us?" He looked on the picture of him and Dio. Both standing next to his father. "All of us." he looked through the ruined pages. His skin encouraging a faint glow in the sunlight as his hands felt each page.

A missing page. At the end. Ripped out. Jojo looked around, wondering if it had dropped out. Nothing.

He checked his pockets. Unsure why. Maybe instinct? He checked the table and his seat. Still nothing.

Maybe it was just an empty page? Most of the journal was empty nearer the back. But it nagged him. He wouldn't rip a page out of his journal if not a critical mistake.

That was his journal? Wasn't it? His name was in the front cover. He did sign it?

Yet it had been so long since he used it that it wasn't his.

He turned back a few pages. Hoping they could provide answers.

"Jojo?"